


Finding Home

by Seravee (Uriels)



Category: Sky: Children of the Light (Video Game)
Genre: Disasters, For PH Sky Discord's Spirits of the Hidden Forest Event, Gen, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25871854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uriels/pseuds/Seravee
Summary: You children may know me as the first spirit that dwells in the Hidden Forest. However before I became nothing but a memory, I, and many others with me, were inhabitants of Prairie. That is, until a catastrophe forced us to flee. The darkest and only day where the sun did not shine in the brightest of all realms.No adventure had honed me, no experience had me prepared. I am the Trailblazer. To light a path is my duty and the road to safety was forced in my hands. This is my story more than what the feeble fire in me could allow you to see.May the Light shine mercy on us..An introspection on the life and times of the Shivering Trailblazer.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Finding Home

The Daylight Prairie in my memories are as beautiful as the day you’ve seen it. It was exhilarating as it is fond, lying on the fields where dreams and flowers bloom. Sailing above the clouds, soaring side by side with mantas and birds. It is where many friendships start and some of the best memories are made.

To me, it is the realm of my fondest experiences. Sadly, my worst as well. You wouldn’t know that, however, because I am known as the Hidden Forest’s Trailblazer. I welcome you in the cold forest, not this sunny field that makes you taste the first sweetness of flight. My spirit dwells under the canopy of majestic trees and tears masquerade itself as rain.

About a thousand years ago, my life in the Day of Plains may not be too different from the first rays of the Daylight Prairie as you know it. In those thousands of years ago, I also rolled on the soft caress of grass and played with the butterflies. Some thousands of years ago, I too have started my own awakening.

My sister and I decided that it was the perfect place to settle down. The different scenery and winding locations sated my effervescent thirst for adventure. The ever sunny area and glittering butterflies gave a nice playtime for my light-catching sibling. In that sense, it is what the community has ended up calling us: the Trailblazer and the Light Catcher. 

We weren’t the only ones who called the Plains home. Many artisans and nature seekers, of which are families to one another, also thrived in the Plains as well. My sister has sought friendship with the Whisperer siblings, always on the look out for birds and mantas. I, on the other hand, have sought friendship with the artisans. Spending my days mingling with the bell watcher twins, observing the shipwright make boats (when he wasn’t sleeping), watching his dockworker partner do his job (when he wasn’t exhausted).

I like learning something new but funny enough, no matter how much I spend time with the artisans, I can't learn their trade. Still, I had a thirst for the unknown, to paths never before taken. When a new location above the clouds was found, it was me who rode the cloud boats and happily found the bird’s nest. When the cloud boats were no longer equipped for distance travel, it was I who helped figure out that bell towers could call for the manta’s help.

I had my place in the community as much as everyone did and I was content. 

The destruction of the Plains, perhaps, is not as sudden as disasters present them to be. In one morning of our wanderings on the cloud boats, my sister and I had accidentally stumbled upon a third island. One not too far from any of the two islands the community called home. It was quite a puzzle that none of us ever noticed beyond the wall of clouds.

The island was large and imposing, a large landmass protruding on the other side where we docked. My sister immediately glanced at me. I didn’t notice. I was in too much awe of our discovery.

“Hey, we should tell this to the others. They’d know what to do.”

“But,” I grin mischievously. “Wouldn’t you want to explore?”

Ever the responsible one, my sister elbowed me on my side, forcing me to cradle it in pain.

“No. I’ll leave you and won’t bother looking for you when you get lost.” she warned.

“Ah,” my eyes twinkled in greater mischief. “Not even with that?” 

High above, I pointed to the protruding land mass glowing. There was seemingly an opening in the summit, white wisps of smoke rising like fumes. The sides are much like any other mountain, covered with old growth forests, but the land below is fertile and perfect for farmland, much more than our original islands. It was nothing we’ve ever seen. It really made me wonder how such a place was not known to us much earlier.

That’s not what fills my head, though. What matters to me is that we’ve seen it first.

“Sister,” I called out to her in all temptations. Unknown to us, we were eve. Dusk will come to pass and we will let it fall. “Wouldn’t you like to know about the light above?”

There is no viable option for curious ones who do not know any better. When we declared ourselves slightly sated of our adventure, we came to spread our discovery. Still, the summit is nothing but a glow of a brand new place calling for us. It is too high, not for unprepared young girls of our nature. 

One day we will. There is no stopping us in tracing this slice of heaven all ours. Not even dusk in the ever sunny Plains, even if it chooses to fall.

* * *

“Our crops are thriving so well! And there are beautiful butterflies in this area too!” Charmer shows to me the bountiful gifts of this island, although his attention is too much on the butterflies.

“But you’re still prettier than any of them!” He swerved his direction to Prospector and shouted over. Together with Dockworker and I, the four of us were gathering materials on the new island. Prospector was analyzing rocks and soil when she was called by Charmer. Embarrassed, a mad blush showed on her face.

“Shameless!”

Dockworker gave me a grim face, of which made me howl in laughter. “They’re flirting again.”

“Ah, let them.” I said, wiping tears from my eyes. “Come, this area should be where sis and I placed the markers.”

We were tasked to check on this place, the side of the large mountain with the lesser view of its mouth. With the discovery of this place and everything it has to offer, the community has decided to commemorate it with building a shrine to honor the Light. Knowing the blueprints, I decided that this was the best place to establish it.

In the new age of Prairie, it will be known as somewhat of a sanctuary of the skies. The place where the heavens are even much closer to grasp.

To us, it is a secluded shrine to commemorate the Light. The higher it was, the better. Keeping the entrance safe was arduous work. It required many fields and blessings. A ward, if you will, to keep anyone off the temple unless approved by six worshipers. Activating the gate was even harder. To power it, eight people had to offer man made fire and it would lift up to the sky temple. It was our devotion of respect and sanctity to the Light. Ensuring isolation, preserving only the purest fire from candles the heavens have blessed.

To me, it will be the last place I discovered in the place I called home. The single colossal tree that grew in the sanctuary towers stand upright before me. It was my first calling of the Hidden Forest and my first thought was this: how lonely it must be to grow all alone.

* * *

There was a pool of fire present in the mouth of the mountain.

We knew because it was erupting. 

We were too late to realize that it was a bomb in wonderland. It is not the kind of light my ever curious sister would have wished to catch. 

The skies had turned grey and the air was getting harder to breathe. It was the darkest and only day where the sun did not shine in the brightest of all realms.

Everyone was panicking. There is no color to my face. I stood like a statue before sinking to my knees. When I turn, the sky that was blue just moments before is filled with black smoke, billowing upward in growing plumes. All that can be seen of the mountain is the dark veil of the lava that flows in thick rivers, burning a path as it goes. I was utterly lost, kneeling helplessly on the ground and staring at balls of fire shooting up. This is not the kind of fire that will bless us of warmth. It is as if we angered the heavens and I cannot feel my bones while wondering why.

It took a swoop from one of the Whisperer siblings riding a manta to shake me from my dulled senses.

“Trailblazer! Where is your sister?!”

The mention of my sister shook me to the core. My eyes turned bloodshot as I looked at the manta we were riding. Many dwellers were here and Whisperer was barely keeping control of the animal that was saving us. The unpredictable molten rocks shooting everywhere was scaring it just as it did to us all 

“Trail!” she screams again “Snap out of it! Where is she?!”

The manta landed down on the island nearest to the angering mountain. Shipwright was running towards us, his tool in tow. He had tears in his eyes and clearly, he was hesitant to leave the place despite the destruction.

It is unforgivable how lost I have been but the moment I saw one of the cloud boats docked, I finally remembered where she was. I scrambled to jump down off the manta and ran towards the boats. My eyes were teary and my actions clouded by panic. I remembered that my sister was on the very island that was bursting. She informed me earlier that she was looking to light-catch there and I mindlessly nodded. Prospector held my shoulder just in time to stop me.

“What are you doing! We need to go!”

“My sister is on that island!” 

I slapped her hand and pushed the boat to the clouds. Just then, a molten rock had shot out and hit the manta. Everyone was thrown astray. The animal was dead.

But I couldn’t care less. I was quick to row forward towards the place where my sister needed me. I knew in my heart that there was the likely scenario that I wouldn’t survive, but if I had to perish then it would be with my sister. If she had to die today, she didn’t have to be alone. 

And then, I finally saw her. 

She was crawling on the ground, tears in her eyes and screams escaping her mouth.

“Get away! Get away!”

My entire thought process has stopped. Why was she driving me away? 

“What are you saying!” I opened my mouth, to protest and lash out. How dare she be so selfless and let me go?

“The gate! I’ll get the others to open it with me. Just go!” The ground where she was on rumbled and I was witnessing her struggle with every step. The light that she so loved was glowing with her. “Find a new home for us! Isn’t that where you’re good at? I promise, we will meet you ah!”

Our happy conversations, the easiness and the simplicity of them are gone—lost in time, displaced by fire and scream soaked memories.

One last time, I saw my beloved sister raise her head from kneeling. She does not blush, nor is she flustered in hardship - instead, she wore the warmest smile I have ever seen from her. I didn’t hear her words, but I’ve known her all my life. The way her lips rounded, the way she enunciates, every syllable clear and biting on the clack of her teeth. All I needed was to understand it. I did, I always did.

_“We may not be real sisters, but I will always love you as one.”_

It was like the world had gone silent. All around me were words that were too far for me to hear, resonating in my head and forever haunting. I meekly bowed and rowed. The last honor I could do was to save myself.

And so dusk has chosen to fall. Our world was gone. 

* * *

There is rain everywhere. 

We are survivors of the disaster, our numbers halved. And we are idling away our sadness, watching dull petals unfold themselves under the feeble sunlight barely peeking through thick clouds shrouding over this forest. It is austere and dead air. It is not home. It smells like death and barren land here and no flower could be any more beautiful than the Plains that we have always awakened to.

It is the coldest I have ever been and I no longer want to move. Still, I made a promise. I promised my sister that I will find us all a new home. I am not the only one who lost someone. Whisperer is inconsolable, weeping over her fallen half. Prospector is silent, waiting for flirting that will no longer be said. Others look just as barren and oh I wanted to be like them. 

When I looked over our tiny crowd, I knew that the rest that was left wouldn’t have been able to survive. Maybe the ward could have protected them, but there was no way for them to activate the gate when they were just seven.

If only I was left behind, maybe we could have opened it. But could we have lived forever in the sanctuary of the skies when the heavens were clearly angry at us?

All I could do was shiver.

I longed for the warmth of fire even if it destroyed our home. My robes could not contain my coldness and I ran to a corner, somewhere that would shade me from the rain.

That’s when I heard the voice. A whisper, closed mouthed murmurs. The mother of the forest must have felt my sadness.

_Come, come inside. I will light you with what meager I have._

A shining manta flew overhead and shone brightly at a temple, a faint outline of everglow mushrooms, torches and candles can be seen.

Finally, I ran. I ran in a shivering cold and led the little community to the entrance. Even perplexed, they’ve come to follow me. They trust that I will lead them the way. They trust that I am the Trailblazer to guide them.

Under the pouring rain, we decided. Despite the lack of brightness and fire in our new life, it won’t be too bad to start anew after all.

I should have been happier with this. No more flames to give me memories of my loss. But I am not mad with fire, I do not begrudge the heavens for a fate like this. The fire of which took my sister’s life is the one that gives life to you, and with it my memory lives on.

May the Light shine mercy on us more. 

**Author's Note:**

> That dormant volcano in Daylight Prairie always piqued my curiosity.
> 
> Some notes about the relationship of Hidden Forest and Daylight Prairie spirits in my story:
> 
> Adopted Siblings:  
> Shivering Trailblazer (HF)  
> Laughing Light Catcher (DP)
> 
> Siblings:  
> Bird Whisperer (DP)  
> Whale Whisperer (HF)
> 
> Twins:  
> Applauding Bell-maker (DP)  
> Waving Bell-maker (DP)
> 
> Partners:  
> Slumbering Shipwright (DP)  
> Exhausted Dockworker (DP)
> 
> Spouses/Dating?:  
> Butterfly Charmer (DP)  
> Blushing Prospector (HF)
> 
> Others (All Hidden Forest survivors):  
> Hide n Seek Pioneer  
> Pouty Porter  
> Dismayed Hunter  
> Apologetic Lumberjack  
> Tearful Light Miner
> 
> >When I looked over our tiny crowd, I knew that the rest that was left wouldn’t have been able to survive. Maybe the ward could have protected them, but there was no way for them to activate the gate when they were just seven.
> 
> There's only seven notable spirits in Daylight Prairie. They wouldn't have been able to open the gate.
> 
> And that's it! Thanks for reading!!!


End file.
